Shediac campground proposal continues to stir opposition

A large campground that Liberal MLA Victor Boudreau wants to operate in his own riding of Shediac-Cap-Pelé continues to draw stiff resistance from some people who live in the area.

The town council in Shediac approved on Monday night amendments to the project that will allow it to go ahead. But opponents are still trying to stop the campsite, which will have the capacity to hold 700 RVs.

Critics accuse Boudreau of being in a conflict of interest, while others have raised concerns about impacts on wildlife and an estuary on the site.   

Mayor Jacques LeBlanc tried to reassure those concerned about the campground.

"I just want you to understand that the process of transparency and accountability at council and the due diligence that we've done on this file, to me has been awesome," he said.

But some still feel their concerns have been ignored.

"Their municipal plan is about promoting year-round enterprises," Tim Borlase said. "And this not a year-round enterprise. We already have seven campsites."

Irene Caissie's house borders the site. She said she's worried about the impact to deer and foxes that live there, and whether her home will be susceptible to flooding.

"When the tide comes in, it has a place to go, it totally surrounds my place and around the back," she said. "When they fill that in all I want to know is if it's going to flood my place. Where is the water going to go?"

The campsite is to sit on a large wooded area bordering Shediac and Pointe-du-Chêne.

Boudreau is one of the partners in the project and has been taking a lot of heat from locals. A Shediac campground operator filed a conflict of interest complaint against the MLA.

"I have met with the conflicts commissioner even prior to this complaint to inform him, as per the rules, of what I intended on doing and getting involved with his project," Boudreau said. "And the commissioner up to now has had no issues in my involvements."